Factors associated with high and low mental well-being in Spanish university students

BACKGROUND

Previous studies conducted in various nationally representative samples of the general population show that positive mental health is related to social prosperity. However, specific studies in university populations are scarce. In this study, we set out to explore factors associated with mental well-being (MWB) in a representative sample of first-year university students in Spain.

METHODS

MWB was assessed with the short version of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. Multinomial logistic regressions were performed to explore the association between different blocks of factors, including relational, adversity, stress, lifestyle, spiritual, health, and self-perceived health variables with high and low MWB, controlling for sociodemographic and university-related variables.

RESULTS

Data from 2082 students (18.6 ± 1.2 years; 56.6 % females) were analysed. Being male, being born in a foreign country, "high" self-perceived support, and "high" self-perceived mental health increased the odds of high MWB. Growing up in the suburbs, stressful experiences, and anxiety disorders reduced the odds of high MWB. Mood and anxiety disorders increased the odds of low MWB. "Middle" self-perceived support, sleeping ≥8 h per day, and "high" self-perceived mental health reduced the odds of low MWB.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design precludes establishing causal relationships. Data were collected in the 2014-15 academic year using self-reported online surveys.

CONCLUSION

The factors associated with high and low MWB do not always mirror each other, so specific plans are needed to successfully address each of the two poles. Interventions and policies targeting these factors for health promotion and disease prevention would improve the MWB of university students.

Clinical predictors of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide death in depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Patients with depressive disorders are especially prone to suicide risk. Among the clinical predictors of suicidality, those specifically related to depressive disorders have not been accurately detailed. Our aim was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting longitudinal predictors of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide death within depression, including diagnostic subtypes, symptoms, clinical course, and assessment scales. A systematic search of the literature between 2001 and 2022 identified 4422 references, among which 19 studies providing 45 different predictors of suicidality met the inclusion criteria. Random effects meta-analyses were performed for 22 predictors, three for suicidal ideation, eleven for suicide attempts and eight for suicide death. Heterogeneity and publication bias were inspected through I2 tests and Egger's tests respectively. Meta-analysis results showed that severity of hopelessness predicted suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. History of suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, severe depression, and psychotic symptoms predicted subsequent suicide attempts and suicide death. Time to full remission and sleep disturbances were also found as relevant predictors of future suicide behaviours. This review specifies which predictors of suicidality within the clinical features of depression will help clinicians and policy makers to better prevent suicide risk in patients with depressive disorders. Further longitudinal studies are needed to reliably assess the predictive ability of our results and to analyse other possible clinical predictors to prevent suicidality, especially with regard to suicidal ideation.

Associations between unhealthy lifestyle and depression: Cross-sectional results from the Spanish National Health Survey

INTRODUCTION

Depression usually worsens lifestyle habits, but previous evidence also suggests that an unhealthy lifestyle (UL) increases the risk of depression. Many studies have analyzed the association between lifestyle and depression in several nationally representative samples, but none have done so in the Spanish adult population. Our aim was to examine the associations between UL habits and depression in Spain.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Analysis of cross-sectional data from the latest National Health Survey published in 2018 (N=23,089). Data on depression and 4 lifestyle factors (diet, physical exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption) were used. These factors were combined into an UL index ranging from 0 (healthiest lifestyle) to 4 (unhealthiest lifestyle). The prevalence of depression at different levels of the UL index, and the association between depression and both the cumulative UL index and the 4 UL factors was analyzed using parametric and non-parametric tests.

RESULTS

Sedentarism was the most prevalent UL factor, followed by unhealthy diet, smoking and high-risk alcohol consumption. Having ≥1 UL factors was associated with a higher prevalence of depression compared to having 0 UL factors (2.5% vs. ≥5.2%), regardless of the cumulative number UL factors (1, 2, 3 or 4). Being physically inactive (OR=1.6) and a smoker (OR=1.3) increased the likelihood of depression. Being a high-risk wine drinker (OR=0.26) decreased the likelihood of depression. Dietary intake was not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of depression changes depending on several modifiable lifestyle factors. Policy makers should therefore spare no resources in promoting strategies to encourage healthy lifestyles and prevent the acquisition of UL habits.

Longitudinal associations between executive function impairments and suicide risk in patients with major depressive disorder: A 1-year follow-up study

Impaired executive function (EF) is a key feature of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) that several studies have linked to suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. This is the first longitudinal study to examine the association between impaired EF and suicide risk in adult patients with MDD. Longitudinal prospective study with 3 assessment points: baseline, 6 and 12 months. The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) was used to assess suicidality. The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) was used to assess EF. The association between EF impairments and suicidality was analyzed using mixed-effects models. Out of 167 eligible outpatients, 104 were included in the study. Of these, 72 were re-evaluated at 6 months and 60 at 12 months, obtaining 225 complete observations of the EF. Impaired decision-making and risk-taking behavior were associated with suicidal ideation. Difficulty in impulse control was related to suicidal ideation and to greater severity of suicidal ideation. Impaired spatial planning and working memory was linked to suicide attempts. Our results add to previous literature that the association between EF impairments and suicidality is maintained over the long term, supporting it as a longitudinal risk factor and a possible neurocognitive marker of suicide in patients with MDD.

Efficacy of an adjuvant non-face-to-face multimodal lifestyle modification program for patients with treatment-resistant major depression: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The high prevalence of depression is partly attributable to the poor response of patients to first-line antidepressants. Multimodal programs that promote a healthy lifestyle are successful in treating depression when used as a complementary therapy, but their medium- and long-term benefits have not been demonstrated for patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The main aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a lifestyle modification program (LMP) with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and a placebo-control (written suggestions for lifestyle changes) in Spanish patients with TRD.

METHODS

This controlled clinical trial randomized 94 patients with TRD into 3 arms. The primary outcome was the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) score at baseline, 2, 6 and 12 months. The secondary outcomes were changes in scores that evaluated quality-of-life, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, physical activity, and social support.

RESULTS

Relative to the placebo group, the LMP and MBCT groups had significantly better quality of life (p = 0.017; p = 0.027), and the LMP group had significantly better adherence to the Mediterranean diet (p<0.001) and reduced use of antidepressants (p = 0.036). However, the three groups showed no significant differences in BDI-II score.

LIMITATIONS

Only about half of the planned 180 patients were recruited, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

There was no evidence that the LMP treatment significantly reduced symptoms of depression relative to the other groups during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Detection and treatment of depressive disorder in the spanish health system: a critical review

Health care for depression is a major challenge. The aim of this review is to capture the status of the detection, diagno- sis and treatment of depression in the Spanish public health system. The data from the latest National Health Survey (ENSE 2017) have been analyzed and a non-systematic search for publications has been carried out in the PubMed and Scopus databases. We highlight the high specificity and low sensitivity in the detection of cases of major depression by Primary Care (PC) physicians in Spain. The detection of depression is supe- rior in specialized care compared to PC. The new healthcare systems based on the shared approach and the hierarchical model of screening, diagnosis and referral are reviewed and we present improvement proposals based on various programs and models of healthcare for depression.

Adherence to Lifestyle Interventions for Treatment of Adults with Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The aim of this systematic review was to determine the adherence to lifestyle interventions for adults with depression and to estimate the dropout rates in trials examining the impact of these interventions. A bibliographic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, the Cochrane library, and several sources of grey literature. We included randomised controlled trials examining the impact of multiple lifestyle interventions on depressive symptomatology in adults when compared to control or other active treatments. Two reviewers independently screened citations, extracted the relevant data, and assessed the risk of bias using Cochrane tools. A random effects meta-analysis of proportions was used to summarise the proportion of participants who completed the intervention and to determine the proportion of dropouts at post-treatment assessment. Multiple subgroup analyses were also carried out. We identified six trials. The meta-analysis of proportions showed that 53% (95%CI 49% to 58%) of the participants assigned to the intervention group fully adhered to the intervention program. The weighted mean proportion of completed intervention sessions was 66%. The pooled trial dropout rate was 22% (95%CI 20% to 24%). Around half of adults with depression adhere to lifestyle interventions. Future research is needed to develop interventions to support adherence to lifestyle interventions in depressive patients.

Efficacy of Three Low-Intensity, Internet-Based Psychological Interventions for the Treatment of Depression in Primary Care: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Primary care is a major access point for the initial treatment of depression, but the management of these patients is far from optimal. The lack of time in primary care is one of the major difficulties for the delivery of evidence-based psychotherapy. During the last decade, research has focused on the development of brief psychotherapy and cost-effective internet-based interventions mostly based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Very little research has focused on alternative methods of treatment for depression using CBT. Thus, there is a need for research into other therapeutic approaches.

Objective

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of 3 low-intensity, internet-based psychological interventions (healthy lifestyle psychoeducational program [HLP], focused program on positive affect promotion [PAPP], and brief intervention based on mindfulness [MP]) compared with a control condition (improved treatment as usual [iTAU]).

Methods

A multicenter, 4-arm, parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted between March 2015 and March 2016, with a follow-up of 12 months. In total, 221 adults with mild or moderate major depression were recruited in primary care settings from 3 Spanish regions. Patients were randomly distributed to iTAU (n=57), HLP (n=54), PAPP (n=56), and MP (n=54). All patients received iTAU from their general practitioners. The main outcome was the Spanish version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) from pretreatment (time 1) to posttreatment (time 2) and up to 6 (time 3) and 12 (time 4) months’ follow-up. Secondary outcomes included the visual analog scale of the EuroQol, the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and the Pemberton Happiness Index (PHI). We conducted regression models to estimate outcome differences along study stages.

Results

A moderate decrease was detected in PHQ-9 scores from HLP (β=–3.05; P=.01) and MP (β=–3.00; P=.01) compared with iTAU at posttreatment. There were significant differences between all intervention groups and iTAU in physical SF-12 scores at 6 months after treatment. Regarding well-being, MP and PAPP reported better PHI results than iTAU at 6 months post treatment. PAPP intervention significantly decreased PANAS negative affect scores compared with iTAU 12 months after treatment.

Conclusions

The low-intensity, internet-based psychological interventions (HLP and MP) for the treatment of depression in primary care are more effective than iTAU at posttreatment. Moreover, all low-intensity psychological interventions are also effective in improving medium- and long-term quality of life. PAPP is effective for improving health-related quality of life, negative affect, and well-being in patients with depression. Nevertheless, it is important to examine possible reasons that could be implicated for PAPP not being effective in reducing depressive symptomatology; in addition, more research is still needed to assess the cost-effectiveness analysis of these interventions.

Trial Registration

ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN82388279; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN82388279

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

RR2-10.1186/s12888-015-0475-0

Suicidal risk and executive functions in major depressive disorder: a study protocol

BACKGROUND

Suicide is a serious public health concern. Depression is the main gateway to suicidal behavior. The already established relationship between depression and suicidal risk should now focus on the investigation of more specific factors: recent studies have suggested an association between vulnerability to suicidal behavior and neurocognitive alterations, a nuclear symptom of depression. This project aims to identify alterations in the Executive Functions (EF) of patients suffering a first depressive episode that might constitute a risk factor for suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts and suicide, to allow for more adequate suicide prevention.

METHODS

Prospective longitudinal design involving two groups (first depressive episodes with and without alterations in their EF) and four repeated measures (0, 6, 12 and 24 months). The estimated minimum sample size is 216 subjects. The variables and measurement instruments will include socio-demographic variables, clinical variables (age of illness onset, family and personal antecedents, psychopathological and medical comorbidity, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and completed suicides, severity of depression, including melancholic or atypical, remission of the depressive episode), and neuropsychological variables (EF and decision-making processes evaluated through the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB)).

DISCUSSION

First and foremost, the identification of clinical and neuropsychological risk factors associated with suicidal behavior will open the possibility to prevent such behavior in patients with a first depressive episode in the context of clinical practice. Secondly, interventions aimed at cognitive impairment (in particular: EF) derived from the study may be incorporated into strategies for the prevention of suicidal behavior. Finally, impaired neurocognitive function (even in early stages) could become an identifiable endophenotype or "marker" in clinical and neurobiological studies about suicidal behavior in depressive patients.